Adjusting guards of slicing machines



Feb. 7, 1961 w, LUNDELL 2,970,622

ADJUSTING GUARDS OF SLICING MACHINES Filed March 18. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. App/0L0 M lwvosa;

Feb. 7, 1961 A. w. LUNDELL 2,970,622

ADJUSTING GUARDS OF SLICING MACHINES Filed March 18. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. A /vouJ M [UP/DELL United States Patent ADJUSTINGGUARDS 0F SLICING MACHINES Arnold W. Lundell, Byram, Conn., assignor to Globe Slicing Machine Co., Inc., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 18, 1959, Ser. No. 800,188

5 Claims. (Cl. 146-102) This invention relates to slicing machines having rotary knives in general and more especially to means for adjusting the position of the guards relative to the cutting edges of the knives.

' Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide a means for adjusting the guard of a rotary knife relative to the cutting edge of the knife of a slicing machine in which the rotary knife is disposed in a plane inclined to the vertical and the upper face of the gauge plate and guard is in substantial alinement with the cutting edge of the knife.

In a rotary knife assembly in which the hub of the knife is mounted upon a stationary shaft and the hub is diii'vingly connected to a'motor, difficulty has heretofore been encountered in positioning the knife and particularly its cutting edge relative to a predetermined plane when the knife is provided with a guard and the upper face of which and the cutting edge of the knife are required to be in substantial alinement with one another.

With the foregoing in mind, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for adjusting the position of the guard and particularly the upper face of the guard relative to the cutting edge of knife not only with facility but also with accuracy and precision.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of; the present invention will appear from the subjoined description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

: Fig. l is a perspective of a slicing machine equipped 2 faces of both of which are raised slightly relative to the upper faces of the intermediate guard portion 10.

The knife 7 is bevelled as shown, receding from the upper outer face of the knife 7 adjacent the cutting edge 8, and inclined downward away from the cutting edge 8 as shown in Fig. 2 so that the edge 8 alone will travel in substantially the plane of the upper face of the intermediate guard portion 10 when adjusted according to the present invention. The knife 7 has a central opening the inner portion 14 of which is secured to the enlargement 15 of the hub or rotor 6. The hub 6 has a diminished portion 16 rotatably mounted on the cylindrical portion 17 mounted on the rod 18. The enlarged portion 19 of the hub 6 is rotatably mounted by the two roller bearing assemblies 20 and 21 on the cylindrical portion 22 mounted on the rod 18. The rod 18 extends through the cylindrical portions 23, 17, and 22. The cylindrical portion 23 is screw threadedly connected to the housing 24 and anchored in position by the nut 25 screw' threadedly connected to the outer face of the cylindrical portion 23 and secured in engagement with the outer face of the frame or housing 24 as shown in Fig. 2 where the nut 25 is located in position by the pin 26. The housing 24, rod 18, cylindrical portions 23, 17 and 22, together with the hub 27 of the knife guard 10, 11 and 12, are stationary relative to the hub portion 19 and knife 7.

Intermediate the cylindrical portion 22 and the hub 27 there are mounted on the cylindrical portion 31, the washer 28, nut 29, shims 30, and enlarged collar 32.

The hub 27 is provided with a steel bushing 33 fixed in the hub 27 and provided with internal screw threads to receive the threaded portion of the rod 18.

The rod 18 is provided with a knurled wheel 34 having between it and the nut 25, see Fig. 2, the enlarged cylindrical portion 35 and collar 36. After the knife with a rotary knife disposed in a plane inclined to the vertical.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental section on the line 2.2 of Fig. 1. t ,Fig. 3, is an exploded view in perspective showing part "of the connecting means,

Q'Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective showing a part of the; gauge plate and its adjusting means. p

"In" the embodiment shown, the frame 1 of the machine is provided with a motor housing 2 containing a motor having a shaft 3 provided with a worm gear 4 meshing with the gear 5 on the extended hub or rotor 6 of the rotary cutting knife 7. Theknife 7 is disposed in a plane inclined to the vertical. Substantially parallel to the plane of the cutting edge 8 of the knife there is provided a gauge plate 9 which is adjusted according to the thickness of slice to be cut by the knife 7. In other words, the greater the thickness of slice the greater the distance of the plane of the gauge plate 9 relative to the plane of the gauge plate 7. The plane of the cutting edge 8 in turn is required to be in substantial alinement with an intermediate guard portion 10. The upper faces of the intermediate guard portion 10 and the gauge plate 9 are required to be in substantial alinement with the cuttingedge 8 of the knife 7. The intermediate guard assembly including the cylindrical portion 23 and nut 25 are secured in place, then the rod 18 is passed through the cylindrical portions 23, 17, 22 and 31 and screw threadedly connected to the steel bushing 33 in the hub 27 of the guard members 10, 11 and 12. In order substantially to aline the cutting edge 8 of the knife 7 with the outer or upper face of the intermediate guard portion 10, one or more shims 30 are interposed between the nut 29 and the enlarged collar 32. The enlarged collar 32 is secured to the cylindrical portion 31 by the set screw 37. The nut 29 is screw threadedly connected to the cylindrical portion 31 positively to anchor the shims 30 in place. The number of shims or washers 30 selected de-. pend upon the adjustment required.

The cylindrical portions 23, 17, 22 and 31 are integral with one another so that when the nut 25 is secured in place it will draw the collar or disc 38 integral with the bar 39 of which the cylindrical portions 23, 17, 22 and 31 are a part against the inner face of the frame or housing at the extension 40 of the housing 24 with the nut 25 in frictional engagement with the outer face of the housing 24 thereby to anchor the cylindrical bar 39 to the housing 24 against rotation with the cylindrical portions 16 and 17 of the hub 6.

The enlarged collar 32 is secured to'the cylindrical portion 31 of the bar 39 by the set screw 37 so that the enlarged collar 32 will also be fixed against rotation with the bar 39. When the screw threaded end 41 of the rod 18 is connected to the bushing 33 fixed in the hub 27 and turned to anchor the hub 27 against the enlarged collar 32 which is fixed against rotation with the cylindrical rod 39, the guard members 10, 11 and 12 will of course also be fixed against rotation with the knife 7. When it is desired to liberate the guard members 10, 11 and 12 so that they can be rotated relative to the cutting edge to afford access to the sharpening assembly, this freedom of rotation is restricted by the cooperation of the pin 42 in the arcuate slot143.

Intermediate thevset screw 37 and the,cylindrical. .portion 31there is preferably'provided a keyed screw 44 having a polygonal shaped, four-sided projection 45 in the present instance to enter the keyway'46. This keyway 46, see Fig. 3 extends through the intermediate threaded portion '47 to receive the key 48 of the washerlfi.

When the nut 29 is secured in place on the threaded portion 47 a prong 49 of the washer 28 will rest inone of the grooves 54) of the nut 2? to anchor it in place,

Itis obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details andconstruction without departing from the general scope of theinvention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

7 I claim: v

1. The combination of a power driven rotary knife for aslicing machine, the periphery of said knife constituting the cutting edge, the portion of said knife adjacent to said cutting edge receding from the plane of said cutting edge, a housing, a motor mounted in said housing, a cylindrical bar extending through and fixed to said housing, a rod extending through said cylindrical bar, a hub rotatably mounted on said bar, said knife fixed to said hub, a knife guard having an intermediate central portion screw threadedly connected to said rod and extending through said knife, a nut screw threadedly connected to said cylindrical bar, an enlarged collar fixed against rotation with said cylindrical bar and disposed adjacent to and connected to said guard, a seal forming a lateral bearing between said enlarged collar and said hub, adjustable shims mounted on said cylindrical bar and interposed between said collar and said nut, said seal cooperating with said enlarged collar and hub to shut off communication from the inside of said knife to said shims, a collar on said rod engaging the outer end of said cylindrical bar to serve as an abutment, and a knurled nut on the outer free end of said rod ot draw said guard, enlarged collar and shims toward said nut and in turn toward said collar to aline said intermediate central portion with said cutting edge.

, The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which a roller bearing assembly is interposed between said cylindrical bar and said hub and a set screw fixes said enlarged collar against rotation with said cylindrical bar.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which a roller bearing assembly is interposed between said cylindrical bar and said hub, and said hub is rotatably mounted between said roller bearing assembly and said housing.

4. The combination of a power driven rotary knife for a slicing machine, the periphery of said knife constituting a cutting edge, the portion of said knife adjacent to said cutting edge receding from the plane of said cutting edge, a frame, a motor mounted in said frame, a housing extending from said frame, a cylindrical bar extending through said housing, a rod extending through connected to said rod and extending through said knife, '21 first nut screw threadedly connected to said cylindrical bar, a bushing fixed on said cylindrical bar and disposed adjacent to and connected to said guard, adjustable shims mounted on said cylindrical bar and interposed between said enlarged collar and said first nut, a first collar on said cylindrical bar to serve as an abutment against'the inner'face of said frame, a second nut screw threadedly connected to said cylindrical bar and engaging the outer face oflsaid frame to drawsaid cyiindrical bar and-therewith said first collar' intojlocking engagement with said frame, a screw threaded'connection between said guard and said rod, 'a second collar on said rod engaging the outer end of said cylindrical bar to serve as a n'abutment, a knurled nut on the outer free end of said rod to draw the said guard, enlarged collar and shims toward said first nut and in turn towards said second collar to aline saidintermediate ceritral portion with said cutting edge, and .a :seal .be-: tween said enlarged collar and .said hub tofshu'toffcommunication from the inside of said knife to said shims.

5. The combination of a power driven rotary knife 7 for a slicing machine, the lperiphery of said knife constituting a cutting edge, the portion of said' knifef ad jacent to said cutting edge receding from the :plane of said cutting edge, a frame, a motor mounted in said frame, a housing extending from said frame, a sha ftextending from said motor into said housing, a worm wheel onvsaid shaft, a cylindrical bar extending through and fixed to said housing, a rod extending through said; cylindrical bar, a hub rotatably mounted on said .cylinv, drical bar, a gear fixed to said hub in mesh with said;

Worm wheel, said knife fixed to said hub, a knifeguard having an intermediate central portion screwthreadedlyi engaged to said rod and extending through saidgknife za first nut screw threadedly connected to said cylindrical bar, an enlarged collar fixed against rotation with said cylindricalbar and disposed'adjacent to said guard, ad-

said cylindrical bar, a hub rotatably mounted on said justabfe shims mounted on said cylindrical'bar and inter posed between said enlarged collar and said first nut, ra first collar fixed on said cylindrical bar to serve .as an abutment against the inner face of said frame, a second nut screw threadedly connected to said cylindrical b ar and engaging the outer face of said frame to draw said, cylindrical bar and therewith said first collar into lockv ing engagement with said frame, a screw threaded con nection between said guard and said rod, a second collar.

on said rod engaging the outer face of said second-nut to serve as an abutment, a knurled nut on the outer free end of said rod to draw said guard, bushing and shims toward said first nut and in turn towards said second" collar to aline said intermediate central portion 'with "said cutting edge, and a seal forming a lateral bearin'g-be-' tween said enlarged collar and said hub and shutting off communication from the inside of said 'ku'ifet'o "said shims.

Ditting Nov. 25]; -2 

